ERC and CIU have agreed a pact to call for a referendum in 2014 and for the several blueprints to follow for the transition to an independent state within the EU.Artur Mas will be voted as president again.

Didn't know where to discuss this but here... but did anyone else watch the Cat vs Nigeria friendly?

Not the greatest of games and I think its maybe losing a bit of the seriousness/importance over the last 2 years, but the crowd and atmosphere were awesome . Rousing national anthem and cheers at the start and a real festival atmosphere throughout the game.

1-1 with Sergio Gonzalez (retired but came back to play 20 mins like a testimonial kind of thing) scoring a penalty in the first few mins. However, Cat clearly dominated.

Other thing was that the team completely changed at half-time, so the best players weren't even playing all together and I thought some of the additions were pretty poor. Obviously Gonzalez looked like an old fart , Alvaro didn't look great on the wing, Vic Sanchez and Piti not great either.

Xavi etc. were playing as if it were with their friends in the backyard, so understandable they weren't menacing... Yet all this, and they still dominated. I think they'd be a real force. Right tactics, right philosophy etc etc.

A few notes on players:

Bojan- Awarded Man of the Match - Very creative and offered plenty of spark. Not as impressive as last 2 years but he was good to watch. Made me miss him.

Verdu- Really underrated player and I like to watch him. I think he's coming really good at the moment in his career but nobody noticing because Espanyol are struggling. Awesome touch and looks at home along the Barca boys. Would definitely have him in the Cat starting team.

Bartra- Only player to play 90 and showed his great ball skills at times. One awesome dribble fwd when playing at RB.

Verdu has become a very good footballer. He still wouldn't make it in our midfield though. A pitty he didn't develope a little earlier so we could have cashed in for him. His contract is running out this summer and he will surely leave Espanyol to greener pastures, I wouldn't be surprised if a Premier League team signs him. Everton or some other top half table side could definitely use him.

Regarding the game, it really lacked some seriousness as people is a bit fed up of friendlies and want an official NT and players can't give their all for a friendly after holidays.

The game was on Espanyol's stadium, which had the catalan flag in it's led envelope screen outside the stadium and also several catalan flags in the stadium and on the steps. It looked fantastic and in the second half, when people finally managed to arrive (there was a massive jam), the stadium looked packed, with intense noise and nice atmosphere. They have a great stadium. It's an humiliation that Espanyol has a better stadium than us, we should really build a new stadium asap.

I meant to do an off-topic a while ago on Verdu, I really like him. Of course, no means was there a point in keeping him, but I do think he can develop to be a bit like Arteta etc. That level of player. Definitely some EPL teams would appreciate him, but he would even buzz in another La Liga team's midfield.

I wouldn't be surprised if Laudrup is scouting him though... Him at Swansea

I'm quite glad Bojan played well and was some individual's MOTM. It doesn't surprise me how well he played along with his displays of creativity. Allegri through out the season has worked closely with Bojan and tried to bring the best out of him. The result? Bojan for the most part has played behind the CF in a creative role and in one stint was MOTM THREE times in a row for Milan. To this day I condemn how Barca treated and developed Bojan as I'm glad he has found a place where his qualities will be embraced more. His partnership in which him and SES drift central and link up is stuff of magic. Truly a sight to watch.

That would be a remarkable team that could fight for everything. And you are missing some players like Victor Ruiz, Angel Rangel, Ferran Corominas, Piti, Sergio García, Oriol Riera... and surely some others I don't think of right now or I don't even know they are catalan.

@free_cat wrote:That would be a remarkable team that could fight for everything. And you are missing some players like Victor Ruiz, Angel Rangel, Ferran Corominas, Piti, Sergio García, Oriol Riera... and surely some others I don't think of right now or I don't even know they are catalan.

True, its a very good team, lacks experience upfront especially a world class striker. I actually don't know much Espanyol's current players or other small catalan clubs. Just mentioned the ones I know, all Barca or X-Barca!

I read an artical last night that Barcelona would request to join the French league should Catalonia gain independance. Guess I could see it happening if we just HAD to actually leave the league to make a point, considering Catalonia is literally right next to France. Would be interesting if something like this did happen, if Espanyol, Gymnastic, Girona, Sabadell etc all followed as well and if France really wanted to accept so many damn new teams lol.

There could be civil war here unfortunately. Disastrous for everyone involved. Both sides should try and compromise. Make Catalonia a Spain territory but with a lot of independence, as the US has done with Puerto Rico, etc.

For one, Spain will not allow Catalonia to just break away like that. I don't think many countries on this planet would allow a section to just break away just like that, after a vote. If there was any chance to mend things, the Spanish Govt ruined it when they sent the police to destroy the ballots. And I'm sure the Spanish Govt is aware that if Catalonia somehow succeeds to break away, that the Basque county will surely be pushing for the same. It's a domino effect a country like Spain, who's economy isn't that hot to begin with, could afford to allow to happen. But at this stage, it looks like things will get really really ugly before a solution will happen.

And if Catalonia breaks away, that means all ties are cut to Spain and that would include the Catalan teams leaving La Liga. A Catalan league would be a joke, there simply isn't enough teams. Not to mention financially it wouldn't have enough pulling power withought a clasico to warrant the capital required from TV deals to keeping a club like Barca to the level it's at. Same might even happen to La Liga, and affect Madrid in the long run. I've read that the French league would accept them even though I'm not sure how they could take in this many clubs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Football_clubs_in_Catalonia).

If they were smart, they would pull for a Iberian league, and merge the Portiquese league in and form a super strong league but again, the odds of that happening are slim to nil. Or maybe if the Basque country breaks away try and form a Catalan x Basque league? But again, that's also watered down, and not likely to happen

IDK, there aren't allot of positive outcomes as far as the Catalan teams are concerned, and there isn't allot situations in which Spain and Catalonia can resolve this with some smarts at this point.